Portable building



Sept. 30, 1930. BERBECK 1,777,028

PORTABLE surwm riled ot. 26, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet r Sept. 30, 1930. 'r. asaascx ronuana BUILDING iledDGt. 26, 1928 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 30, 1930. I T, BERBE 7 1,777,028

PORTABLE BUILDING Filed Oct. 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 3 I? '5: m5 68 49 J I I 5 52 25. "O,/Q /z/ my 7 74* 1 Patented Sept. 30, 1930 TRIAN BERBECK, on :sALrIMonn, MARYLAND PORTABLE nninmive Application filed October 26, 1928. Serial 315,144.

This invention relates to collapsible buildings and has special reference to a portable knock-down garage.

One important object of the invention is 5 to improve the general construction of devices of this character. 7

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved frame for such a garage.

is to provide improved means for arranging the canvas or other covering materialat the caves of the garage. 7 r Y With the above and other objects in view 15 as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings 20 claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and z V a Figure 1 is a transverse section'through the 25 garage looking toward the doors by which the automobile is run in and out of the buildmg.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal median section through the garage, partly in side elevation. Figure 8 is a detail horizontal section showing the latches for holding the plates in position relative to the corner posts.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 Figure 3. a

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 2. l 1

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 7 is a detail view of a pair of gable 40 supports as used herewith.

Figure 8 is a detail section through one of the posts showing the door hinged thereto and the method of attaching the'canvassto the post. a r Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the base plate andsocket member forthe lowe end of a corner post. r

.In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated there is provided four base plates so 10, one for each corner and on these base A third important object of the invention r and specifically '7 each of the sockets there is provided on the inner sides of each corner post socket members l3 and betweeneach pair of corner posts extends a sill 14 carrying an L-shaped iron 15 at its end so that each of thevsills is thus provided with end fingers 16 which fit in the respective sockets 18 and keep the lower parts of the corner posts in properly spaced position. I The corner posts are held. in the sockets ll bybolts 17 and above each ofthe sills 14 on each corner post is a swinging latch member 18 pivoted at its upper end to the post as at 19' anddepending, when in latching position, from the pivotso that a I right angularly disposed foot20engages on the respective sill 14 when the latch'18'is in a vertical" position and thus holds the sill down so that the fingers 16 cannotimove upwardly out of the sockets 13. Between the top ends of the posts 12 extend plates 21 each of a which is provided with an angle iron 22 at each end forming a finger 23 engageable in a respective socket 24 at the upper end of said post 12. On top of each post 12 is a pair of keepers 25 engageable by the bolts 26 of spring latch members 27 sothat the fingers 23 are held from jumping out of the sockets 24.-. On the sills 14 are upwardly extending sockets 28 and depending from theplates 21 are similar sockets 29 which receive the ends of studs 30, the studs being held in the sockets by removable. pins 31 secured respectively to the sills and plates by chains 32.

Angle braces 38 connect the posts and sills, being attached to said posts and sills by angle plates 34 secured by removable screws 35 Centrally of each end plate 21 there is provided a socket 21 open on the outside and receiving the lower end of a strut 36 which is provided with a finger 37. on the outsiderof its lower end, this finger engaging in a socket 38 on the outside of the plate 21 as can best be seen by reference to Figure 6. Extending across between the longitudinal plates 21 are cross members 39 and to these cross members and the posts 36 are connected braces 40 provided at its ends with sockets 42 which straddle the plates 21 and pins 43 pass through these sockets and plates to hold the cross members in position, the pins being connected to the plates by chains 44. It will be seen from Figure 1 that the plates 34 and 41 have slotted openings 45 by means of which they can be engaged on the screws or pins so that the braces may be readily detached. A ridge pole 46 rests on the end struts 36 and is connected thereto'by means of hinges 47 so that, when removed, the struts can be folded up against the ridge pole. If desirable the pintles of these hinges may be removed to disconnect these parts. Extending at intervals from opposite sides of this ridge pole are socket members 48 which re ceive the upper ends of rafters 49 which rest on the upper and outer edges of the longitudinal plates 21 and are secured to these plates by hinges 50 having removable pintles 51 connected by chains 52 with the roof rafters. It will be noted that the edges of these rafters are rounded to prevent wear or tearing of the roofing material. Each end gable consists of a pair of end rafters 53 having their upper ends connected by a hinge 54 and provided with a triangular filling 55 of canvas or the like. Each of the doors of the garage consists of a frame 56 having a filling of canvas or the like as at 57, this filling being stretched over a reinforcing wire screen 58. These doors are hinged to the corner posts by hinges 59 having removable pintles 60.

The side canvas covering the spaces below the plates consists of a rectangular strip 61 having at its lower edge a base-board 62, the strip being secured to the base-board and posts by bolts 63 and wing nuts 64. Each end of this strip is provided with a pocket 65 wherein is a reinforcing slat 36 having thimbles 67 for the lag bolts 63. The roof consists of a strip or rectangle 68 sufficiently long to extend from below the eaves on one side over the ridge and down below the eaves on the other side to provide depending edges 69 best seen in Figure 5. Secured beneath this roof ($8 in spaced relation to each depending edge is a stripTO provided on its free edge with a pocket 71 wherein is positioned a slat 72 having thimbles 73 to fit on the lag bolts 7 so that by means of Wing nuts 75 this edge may be drawn up against the respective plate 21 with the strip 70 tight against the lower ends of the roof rafters 49. In the side canvas 61 may be provided a window frame 76 filled with suitable transparent material 77 which may be glass, celluloid or other suitable material of this character. Also the side 61 is provided with a door opening which is surrounded by a frame 7 8 binding the edges of the opening against certain of the studs 30, the usual lag bolts and wing nuts 79 being used to hold this frame in position. Supported in this frame by hinges 80 is a door having a cover 81 of canvas or the like and provided with any suitable form of latch and lock as at 82.

It will now be seen that by removing the canvas sides and roof and also removing the end pieces at the gables and the doors the frame may be taken apart piece by piece so that the entire structure may be packed up in very small dimensions. Also when it is de sired to erect the garage it is simply necessary to place the corner bases in proper position, drop the posts in the sockets and connect these posts by the sills and plates after which the studs may be fitted into position. Next the roof posts 36 and ridge are set up and the braces 33 and 40 fitted after which the ridge and roof rafters are connected and then the canvas sides are secured and the roof put on and fastened after which the door frame 7 is fitted in position and the doors hung. The garage will now be ready for occupancy.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may he made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a collapsible garage, base plates for the corners of the arage each having a socket projecting upwardly therefrom, corner posts having their lower ends seated in said sockets, means to lock said corner posts releasably in the sockets, sills extending between sa'd corner posts, sockets on the confrontin si lea of said corner posts, socket engaging fingers on said sills at the ends thereof adapted to enter the last mentioned sockets, and means to secure the fingers on the sills from disengagement from their sockets.

2. In a collapsible garage, base plates for the corners of the garage each having a socket projecting upwardly therefrom, corner posts having their lower ends seated in said sockets, means to lock said corner posts releasably in the sockets, sills extending between said corner posts, sockets on the confronting sides of said corner posts, socket engaging fingers on said sills at the ends thereof adapted to enter the last mentioned sockets. and latch members pivoted at their upper ends above the sills on the corner posts and arranged to hang downwardly in normal position against the sills to prevent lifting of the sills relative to said posts.

3. In a collapsible garage, base plates for the corners of the garage each having a socket projecting upwardly therefrom, corner posts having their lower ends seated in said sockets, means to lock said corner posts releasably in the sockets, sills extending between said corner posts, sockets on the confronting sides of said corner posts, socket engaging fingers on said sills at the ends thereof adapted to enter the last mentioned sockets, means to secure the fingers on the sills from disengagement from their sockets, plates extending between the posts at the upper ends thereof, downwardly extending fingers at the ends of said plates, and sockets on the upper ends of said posts receiving said last fingers. V V

4-. In a collapsible garage, base plates for he corners of the garage each having a socket projecting upwardly therefrom, corner posts having their lower ends seated in said sockets, means to lock said corner posts rel'easably in the sockets, sills extending between said corner posts, sockets on the confronting sides of said corner posts, socketengaging fingers on said sills at the ends thereof adapted to enter the last mentioned sockets, means to secure the fingers on the sills from disengagement from their sockets,

plates extending between the posts at the up per ends thereof, downwardly extending fingers at the ends of said plates, sockets on the upper ends of said posts receiving said last fingers, and cooperating latch members on top of said posts and at the ends of said plates to hold the plates against rising in respect to said posts.

5. In a collapsible garage, the combina- 51; ton with separable corner posts, sills and plates, of studding between the sills and plates, means for detachably securing the studding to said sills and plates, a fabric cover for the sides and an end of the garage and covering the space between the sills and the plates, said cover having a door opening therein, corresponding in width and position to the space between two adjacent studs, aframe for said opening fitting on the outside of the cover, and means for detachably securing said frame to said two studs.

6. In a collapsible garage, an upper frame consisting of separable members and including side and end plates, sockets extending upwardly from said end plates centrally thereof, end posts fitting in said sockets and extending upwardly therefrom, cross members extending between the side plates in spaced relation to the end plates, means for detachably securing the cross members to the side plates, diagonal braces extending between said end posts and cross members and detachably secured thereto, and a ridge pole connected to said end posts.

7. In a collapsible garage, an upper frame consisting of separable members and including side and end plates, sockets extending upwardly from said end plates centrally thereof, end posts fitting in said sockets and extending upwardly therefrom, cross members extending between the side plates in spaced relation to the end plates, means for detachably securing the cross members to the side plates, diagonal braces extending between said end posts and cross members and detachably secured thereto, and a ridge pole having hinged connection to the tops of said end posts.

I 8. In a collapsible garage, an upper frame consisting of separable members and including side and end plates, sockets extending upwardly from said end plates centrally thereof, end posts fitting in said sockets and extending upwardly therefrom, cross members extending between the side plates in spaced relation to the end plates, means for detachably securing the cross members to the side plates, diagonal braces extending between said end posts and cross members and detachably secured thereto, a ridge pole having hinged connection to the tops of said end posts rafter sockets extending downwardly on each side of said ridge pole, roof rafters having their upper ends removably engaged in said sockets and extending downwardly and outwardly over the side plates, and hinged connections having removable pintles connecting said rafters and side plates.

9. In a collapsible garage, a roof frame ineluding side plates, a ridge pole and rafters connecting the ridge pole and side plates and being detachably connected to the ridge pole and side plates and extending outwardly over the latter, a fabric roof extending over the frame and having its side edges 

